


Bubble Buddy

by karikara



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Caretaking, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Sexy Times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:41:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26591569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karikara/pseuds/karikara
Summary: In a post-show AU where the well never opens again for Kagome, she decides to start a new life in the mountain city of the west, Nagano. She's feeling happy with her choices until the coronavirus hits and she's forced to isolate herself in a city where she knows no one except her coworkers. She's feeling pretty lonely until a certain Daiyoukai shows up to offer her ... companionship. Enjoy!
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 19
Kudos: 80





	1. Soba and a Side of Sexual Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got a notion to write this today I hope it cheers all of you up during the shitty times that we're in right now. It's going to get hoooot in future chapters, so prepare yourselves. Please read and review -- I am thirsty ho for your praise ... or hate. I just love the attention. Thanks!!! XOXO
> 
> I'd like to dedicate this fic to Mythicamagic, for no other reason than I've been reading through their lengthy, and really, really good archive of amazing Sesskag fics. I'm new to this fandom and all of you probably already know how amazing this writer is already but seriously READ ALL THE THINGS. I've also been enjoying the work of a ton of other authors in this fandom like wonderbug and Imani Joain to name a few. I was in a writing rut and plunging into this rich fandom has fired up my imagination again. I'm really grateful!
> 
> REPOSTED -- There were some hilarious typos in the version I didn't edit and put up at 11 pm last night. Go figure.

He moved around her apartment every bit as quietly as he had the forests of the feudal era. That's why Kagome jumped slightly in surprise when Sesshoumaru's large hand ghosted across the small of her back. She was standing in her kitchen unpacking the take-out he'd brought her. She held her breath, feeling the prick of his claws through the back of her t-shirt while he pulled out the drawer next to her to retrieve her tea strainer. 

His touch was not unwelcome, but she knew it was only that -- a gentle warning that he was near and wanted her to stand still while he retrieved what he needed. Heat flared in her cheeks and her heartbeat jumped regardless. She watched from the corner of her eye as he smoothly closed the drawer and stepped away to her tiny four-burner gas range, readying the kettle to make his tea. 

He was a study in contrast: new and old, standing over her stove. Sesshoumaru's long white hair was unbound. He wore a crisp pair of black dress pants and a white shirt as bright and pristine as his hankimono once had been. In her home he could let his guard down, and each time he arrived he shed the glamour that concealed the vivid markings on his face. Kagome marveled as he stood there, past and present -- a mythic figure wrapped in expertly tailored modern menswear. She still couldn't quite believe that he was here with her in the future. But she was thankful that he was.

"I can do that for you, you know," Kagome huffed. "You are my guest after all."

"Nonsense. I know where everything is." His reply was low and soft but it brooked no argument as his long, clawed fingers turned the nob to ignite the burner.

Kagome rolled her eyes. That was Sesshoumaru, Lord of all he surveyed, including apparently her kitchenette. She wasn't surprised that he'd memorized where everything was by now. It had been four months since he began visiting her here in her apartment in Nagano. The decision to move from Tokyo to the city in the mountains wasn't an easy one. But when her mom's new fiance Tomo moved into their cozy family home next to the shrine in Tokyo, Kagome finally felt like she was free again to strike out on her own. Mom had someone to support her and help out grandpa besides Souta, busy as he was with his university schoolwork.

The Bone Eaters Well sealed up after she made her final wish on the Shinkon jewel, and Kagome had been stuck in the future. For a long time she told herself that staying with her family while she completed her studies was her way of making up for lost time with them, and on one level it was. But, on another deeper level, it was because of the well. She was waiting for it to open again. It had been four years. 

On New Year's eve she'd finally made peace with reality. It was closed. Standing over the well in her vivid blue holiday kimono, her breath curling like smoke in the cold air, she'd shed a few more tears for her friends in the past and said good bye for a final time. It was time to get on with her life, and literally, in her case, leave the past behind her. If she didn't, she risked wasting her future and whatever happiness she could make for herself now.

For her, that meant a new job in a new city, and that's why she was now in Nagano, where she got a position as a project manager at a local software development agency. She'd moved in February. In March, the pandemic deepened its clutches on major cities across Japan and the shut down began. Her company closed the main office and told everyone to work from home. Kagome was grateful to have a job, but being in a new city where she knew no one, and then being completely shut off from meeting anyone thanks to the virus -- it was hard, really hard. 

The homesickness she felt burned in her chest and she began to call her mom everyday to talk. In April her mother suggested that she move back to Tokyo. She could work as well there, after all, and the shut down didn't look like it would end anytime soon. Kagome was chewing her lip behind her mask one rainy April day, thinking about her mother's offer as she carried sodden bags of groceries back from the store when she first saw him.

She only registered him initially as a tall, well dressed man with long black hair looming at the street corner, a black umbrella in his hand. At that moment she'd been thankful that her mask concealed her blush as he locked eyes with her. His were unnaturally bright, almost amber. He was strikingly beautiful. Her blush deepened. Kagome nodded to him and then dipped her gaze down in passing, feeling too much like a wet rat to engage the elegant stranger in a conversation. That's when he said it, that term that he uniquely used to call her.

"Miko."

Surprised, she turned on her heels and took a step back -- right off the curb. Losing her footing, she was about to land on her ass in the rain soaked street when the mystery man launched himself forward, hooking his free arm around her back and pulling her into his chest. Her face was on fire now. Hell, her entire body was on fire. Her eyes wide, she looked up into his face and that's when she finally recognized him.

"Sesshoumaru?"

His markings were gone but the set of his jaw and his hard profile were unmistakable. He let out a brief pulse of his Youkai in response and it danced across her skin, causing the little hairs all over her body to stand on end. She gasped as she felt her dormant Reiki flare to life like a sunspot in response.

"Wow," was the only think she could manage to say.

He'd let his car and driver go then with a regal wave, and insisted on walking her to her apartment, carrying her plastic grocery bags in one hand and holding his umbrella over both of them. The act of kindness was appreciated, but still surprising. Maybe the last 500 years had mellowed him out a bit she thought as she accidentally bumped shoulders with him. It was clear by the car and his clothing that he must spend time among humans. She chatted anxiously at him and he disclosed that his new base of power in the West was in Nagano.

They finally reached her door and she asked awkwardly, "So still Lord of the West, huh?"

"Yes," he replied, his gaze seeming to rest on her lips for a moment before he met her gaze again. "Although this one's duties have evolved to suit the era. Take my card," he said, handing her bags back to her and retrieving a thick white business card from the pocket of his blazer. "Call or text if you need ... anything," he said, his eyes hooded but his gaze intent as he looked down at her.

She thanked him profusely. That night when she spoke to her mother she told her she would be staying in where she was, at least for now. And then she sent Sesshoumaru her first message. She couldn't help but giggle to herself when she did. Here she was, texting the Lord of the West. She'd come to Nagano to escape the past, and a piece of it had found her. 

They texted back and forth for a few weeks, Sesshoumaru always quick to answer her questions about "his" city, as he called it. But she was growing increasingly bored and lonely. She enjoyed her job and her communication Sesshoumaru but it was hardly companionship.

Kagome became more depressed and began to text with less frequency. After a week lapsed since her last text he sent her a message one night, and she realized it was the first time he had initiated contact.

S: You've been quiet. Are you sick? Do you need aide?

K: No. I'm fine. Sorry! It's just ... Nagano is lovely but I'm all by myself here. It's hard, with COVID. I've been kinda down.

A few minutes lapsed before her screen lit up again.

S: I will visit you.

Shocked. Kagome sat slack jawed on her couch in her crumpled pajamas. She looked around at the empty cup ramens on her coffee table and the pile of unfolded laundry at her feet. Oh god, hopefully he didn't mean, like now. What should she say? Before she could reply another message came in.

S: If that is acceptable to you, of course. As a Youkai, I will not put you at risk from the virus.

She laughed. He'd still maintained his same stiff way of speaking, even 500 years on. She realized the smile on her face was the first one she'd had in a long time.

K: Yes. That is "acceptable". You can come by on Thursday night. I'll think of something we can do.

S: I'll bring food.

And so he had. Nearly every Thursday since. The meal he brought her tonight was a noodle bowl with vegetables and fresh soba made daily at a restaurant near by. The Daiyoukai never ate, and although she was curious to know if he did, or if he even needed to, she hadn't yet had the guts to ask him about it. He did always drink her tea at least. Kagome squinted disapproving at the broccolini in her bowl as she moved past him through the kitchen to her small table.

"You sure do have me eating healthy," she said airily as she sat down.

"I am aware of what you keep in your refrigerator, and have concerns regarding your nutrition."

Kagome snorted. "Okay, Dad." She looked up smirking and caught his expression, a soft frown, before he looked away from her.

"I think I can guess why you started brewing your tea too," she continued before slurping up some of her noodles. "You don't like the way I do it do you?"

The Daiyoukai paused for a moment, before disclosing quietly, " ... You steep it for too long."

"Ha!" Kagome laughed. "I knew it."

Teenage Kagome would have been incensed by that admission, but she was a grown woman. Sesshoumaru's OCD was his business, not hers. Strong and numerous though his opinions were, they didn't threaten her. She had her own mind and was happy to hold her own with him. 

Kagome smiled at his back and looked down to where her phone rested on the table. The screen lit up. It was the dating app she'd downloaded the day before. A little excited to get what might be her first response she opened it. The picture of a cute brown-eyed man greeted her, along with a short message. He wanted to call her.

Sesshoumaru passed behind her and set down his cup of tea in front of her other chair before he sat down.

"Who's that?" he asked, his voice pitched low.

"Oh ... um. I don't know. Just a guy who wants to meet me."

"Meet you? You can't mean ... in person?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, He turned in his chair slightly as his gaze bored into her.

Kagome swallowed and put her phone face down on the table. His disapproval was palpable in his energy. But this was her choice. He wouldn't bully her out of it.

"Well, maybe ... " Kagome shrugged.

"Why on Earth would you take the risk?" he asked, his long hair brushing over his arm that rested on the table as he shook his head.

"Um ... " Kagome felt a slow blush begin to creep at her collar bone as she licked her lips. They were both adults here. She could tell him. "Well, the truth is ... I'm looking for a ... bubble buddy."

"Bubble buddy?" His eyes narrowed, as he leaned back in his chair. "Is this one not ... your 'buddy'?"

Kagome choked.

"Ha ha ... Not exactly ... I mean you are my friend but it's different than what we do. Kinda like a friends with benefits sort of situation ... but because of COVID we only see each other?" she explained, looking up at his face. His expression was completely blank. It was clear he had no idea what she was talking about. God, why couldn't he learn some damn slang? She was about to self-combust. "I have needs, Sesshoumaru. Things that maybe that man or ... some other man can help with."

"Things? What things do you refer to?" It was like a damn bursting, and a lecture poured out of the Daiyoukai's mouth. "If you need more companionship could you not simply ... 'Zoom' this ... person? Meeting another human face-to-face for mere social reasons during a pandemic such as this is foolishness. I forbid it."

This time, Kagome's anger did flare up. "Whoa, wait a minute," she turned to him, crossing her arms and returning his glare. "May I remind you that I am an adult woman. You cannot 'forbid' me to do anything, your lordship. You are not my keeper. Don't try to try turn me into your ward. I realize you have strong paternal instincts but I have needs!"

She watched Sesshoumaru's jaw tighten as he crossed his arms over his chest and continued aloofly. 

"You are certainly not my ward, Kagome. And 'paternal' is hardly how I would qualify my interest in you. But, as your ... companion, this one will endeavor to support you in anyway that I am able. And I am very able. I, Sesshoumaru, assure you that I am qualified to fulfill your needs, regardless of what they may be, if you will but speak it."

Oh, god. If only he would fulfill her needs ... Kagome rubbed at a vein that began to jump in he forehead before she continued with a sigh. She gazed at a worn spot in the veneer of her secondhand table and swallowed before mumbling softly, "They are ... adult needs, Sesshoumaru. Sexual ... needs." Her heart felt like it was about to leap from her chest. Her face was probably purple with embarrassment. Steeling herself, she took a quick breath and dared to look back at his face.

For once -- maybe the first time ever since she'd known him -- Sesshoumaru looked surprised. His intense eyes were widened slightly, and his mouth hung open a crack as he gazed back at her. Then he cleared his throat loudly and shuttered his gaze, his Adam's Apple bobbing as he swallowed.

"Ah ... " he replied.

Kagome gave him a half-smile. If only she had a camera in her eye. She'd like to savor the expression of the Lord of the West so undone for the rest of her life.

"Yeah," Kagome's expression softened. He seemed every bit as mortified as she was. "Sorry, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but you asked. I was in a bit of a dry spell even before the pandemic started and it's been awhile for me. I don't expect someone like you to understand."

Kagome had certainly wondered before about Sesshoumaru's sexuality. She had also indulged in her own fantasies about him late at night. Sometimes even on the couch where he'd sat with her only hours before. She had always figured he was probably AIS, or if not asexual then, likely discretely and tastefully up to his pointy ears in demon ass. If he were at all interested, there's no way a person who looked like him would ever be hard up.

"I do understand," he said, leaning back in his chair and cutting his eyes to hers once again. "The meaning of the term 'dry spell' is quite transparent. You do not need to elaborate more."

Kagome smiled shyly back at him. "Thanks. It's just ... human stuff. Um, this soba you bought me is really good, by the way."

They sat in silence for a few minutes as she finished her meal. Sesshoumaru's expression seemed glazed, as if he were far away. She was about to finish her last bite when he spoke again.

"What are you seeking, exactly ... in a 'buddy'?"

Kagome breathed in a mouthful of noodles and started to cough. Hesitantly Sesshoumaru reached up and patted her firmly on the back until she got her breathing under control again, his hand remained there, she noticed, slung over the back of her chair, cupping her shoulders.

"Woo! Wow, sorry. You mean, what kind of man am I looking for?"

Sesshoumaru frowned when she uttered the word 'man'. "Yes," he replied. "It would be helpful to know what characteristics you find appealing in a partner if this one is to ... assist you in acquiring what you need."

He caught her eye again and Kagome looked back at him dumbfounded. She shivered and her body pulsed as she felt his thumb begin to sweep a slow path back and forth on her shoulder. God, it felt good. If only Mr. Perfect didn't despise her humanity so badly. She swallowed hard and pushed her bowl away.

Well this was weird, but Kagome had to admit she was curious to see where the conversation would go. She thought for a moment, before she began. "Well ... intelligence is important to me. Passion. Attentiveness -- someone who cares for my needs, of course." Her eyes darted to his for a moment. "Emotional maturity is also appreciated ... Sexual chemistry. You know, someone who wants me as badly as I want them."

That last one was especially important to Kagome, given her history with Inuyasha. She glanced down again at the table as she chewed her lip. Had he put that connection to his brother together? He gave no evidence that he did, but instead relaxed in his seat, spreading his longs legs out wide beneath the table and bumping his hard thigh against her knee. Kagome uttered a little meep and looked back at him, blinking furiously.

His gaze, more predatory now, pinned hers and he continued. "Alright. And what of physical qualities? Are those not important to you in a sexual partner?"

"Sure of course." Her voice was unnaturally high. How could she tell him her preferences without making it blatantly obvious she had grown to worship him over the past few months? "I like a man who is ... well-groomed. Tall is good, at least, taller than me. Fit but not 'roided up like a weight lifter. Long haaa ... " Kagome blanched as she realized she was about to say, 'long hair'. It was too on the nose. THINK. " ... aands. Long hands?" She repeated it like a question, and winced before looking up at him through her lashes.

"Long hands?" He asked, his eyes and tone flat as he gazed down his nose at her.

"Yep, ha ha. That's what I said!"

"Hn."

He shifted in his seat and started to lean towards her slowly, with the hand behind her shoulders he pushed her towards him until his face was only about a foot away from hers. Kagome's heartbeat was thundering in her ears and a knot below her navel coiled and pulsed with desire. 

He seemed to fix his gaze on her lips, and as she watched, the nostrils of his perfectly symmetrical nose flared as he took a long drag of air through it. His intense eyes then slid back to her face and pinned her there, unblinking. Oh crap. Could he smell how aroused she was? Sesshoumaru breathed out slowly and the lids of his eyes dipped as he considered her petrified form. She was going to die of embarrassment.

Abruptly he stood up from the table, his emotionless mask back in place. Had he ever seemed so tall to her as he did in this moment, looming over her in her small kitchen? He gazed down at her through white lashes from what felt like a thousand miles away.

"I will consider your request," he said.

Then he turned and began stalking out of the room. He was headed through her living room towards the door. She dashed after him and caught up just as he was leaning down to put on his black Italian leather shoes.

"Wait!" Kagome pleaded. "You're going right now? Why not stay? You only got here an hour ago. I got us a new board game."

Sesshoumaru finished tying his shoes. He stood, and mutely she watched the glamour return to his face, his white hair darkening to black and his markings fading away. The intensity in his expression; however did not change. He turned and clutched at the door knob with what were now human-looking hands. He opened the door but then he paused. He looked back at her, over his shoulder, taking in her confused and hurt expression.

"This one will return to you in a few days."

And with that he left, shuting the door behind him, leaving Kagome to stare at the wood grain panel of the door.

"OK ... " she said weakly to an empty room. What the hell was he thinking? Was the mighty Lord of the West really going to play matchmaker and find her a man?


	2. Mr. Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was about to retract her guilty hands as if they'd been burned when his broad hot palm pressed down over them, capturing them there. Eyes wide, feeling like a small and startled animal she looked up into his face.
> 
> "My Miko, so eager," he practically purred, his eyes and his face soft.

It was the following Friday. Kagome was eating dinner by herself in her apartment again. It had been 8 days since she'd seen Sessoumaru last and she hadn't heard from him. Yesterday, he didn't show up on their usual night and she was miffed and frankly, missing him. 

She kept worrying about their last conversation. It had just been so ... awkward and then he'd left so fast. Did she offend him with her honesty? Was that why he didn't come to their standing hang-out night despite his promise to return in a few days with ... what? The name of some new Daiyoukai-approved boy toy? A dossier of pictures of whoever passed whatever high inscrutable standards the Killing Perfection had? Man, this was weird. She wished he didn't have to get so alpha on her.

Kagome knew at least a little about Inuyoukai culture. She was desperate to glean what she could from different sources in the feudal era in an effort to understand and flirt more effectively with Inuyasha. After reading a scroll on demonic body language Kagome remembered hitching the neck of her sweater over her shoulder and sweeping her long dark hair to the side baring the soft skin of her neck to catch his eye. The hanyou had only grabbed her collar and yanked it back up, grumbling at her about covering up in the freezing weather. Ugh. Cringe.

She'd never dared try any of the moves she'd learned on Sesshoumaru, of course. They wouldn't be welcome. But she'd learned more than body language. She'd learned about their culture too. The Inuyokai were dog demons. As such, the world to them was largely divided into uchi and soto -- pack members and outsiders.

The alphas of a pack, and Sesshoumaru was most certainly ALPHA in all-caps, made group decisions but they were also in charge of ensuring that pack members were taken care of. When they reunited it surprised her to find that Sesshoumaru and seemed to classify her into a new group -- pack. It was a nice change, considering he'd tried to melt her the first time they'd met 500 years ago.

She knew the way he thought of her had changed by the way he accommodated her, even before they began meeting in person. She would send him her inane human questions, interrupting what was probably his very busy day as a captain of industry. Without fail, he quickly gave her his thoughts on anything from the best book shops to the safest jogging routes. Maybe it was because she lived in his domain now and fell, in someway in his mind, under his power as a Lord.

Perhaps it was something else, something more personal. Rin had died long ago and he had disclosed that many of her descendants now worked in his companies. He still had people he cared for clearly, but he was without a ward or children of his own. His protective behavior towards her sometimes seemed quite fatherly. He was certainly old enough to be her father, dozens of times over at least. It was sweet and she generally enjoyed the attention. But finding a guy for her? Ugh. It was too much.

Kagome stabbed at a slippery grape tomato on her plate and scrolled dejectedly through the messages she had sent to him recently. Each one got more ridiculous as she had tried to beg, cajole and shock the demon lord into getting back to her. She just wanted to understand what he was thinking, to know that their friendship was OK despite their last talk.

K: You don't have to play matchmaker for me, really! I am not that inept! Thanks tho.

K: I thought about it, and this is kind of embarrassing. Maybe you were joking when you said you'd help me, but really, it's not necessary. I don't need a wingman.

Growing annoyed and bolder she began baiting him to see if she could irritate him into a response.

K: Haven't heard from you. Busy interviewing cute guys for me? Send pics plz.

In the next few texts, she'd sent photos of some of her favorite K-pop stars.

K: Hey, are any of these on your list?

Feeling a little guilty for flooding his screen with K-pop stars, she'd then simply sent a cute selfie dressed in a tank top with the game she'd bought for them the week before. 

K: Just joking about the K-pop guys, obviously. Sorry if I offended you. See ya tomorrow?

Nothing.

His silence twisted in her gut. Kagome pushed her plate away and groaned as she lay her head on the cool surface of the table. She knew now that if she had to choose between hanging out with Sesshoumaru watching old movies and playing games, and all the time in the world with the most delicious fuck boi imaginable, she would pick just being near him, hands down.

She grabbed her mobile phone again and stared at. She swallowed and her heart began to beat faster as she thought about what she really wanted to tell him. Licking her lips, Kagome clicked on his name and typed.

K: Miss you

Her finger hovered above the send button for a moment. Don't be a coward, Higurashi. She steeled her nerves and clicked send before she could wuss out. Anxiety arced over her entire body the instant her finger came off the button and she moaned in regret. 

Why not just send him a message that read, "NOTICE ME SENPAI!" She flopped her head back down on the table. If she got needy with the Lord of the West she would definitely never see him again.

But fuck. It was true. She did miss him. 

Kagome got up and strolled to the living room. She dove onto the couch, sighing as she stared at the ceiling. If she was going to be a sad sack she might as well be comfortable. Maybe she could watch a new show. As she lay there she heard a loud boom like a transformer blowing or a sudden burst of thunder. Adrenaline rocked her and she shot up from the couch. She dashed to the window and twitched her white curtain aside, looking up and down the street for whatever might have caused the sound. The evening sky was clear. It wasn't raining.

Shrugging, she was about to return to the couch when she noticed it, there were two columns of shadow that she could see in the gap below her front door. Someone was standing there. She heard a polite but firm knock. His knock. Kagome blanched. Oh no ... why was he here? Had her pathetically needy text actually summoned the Daiyoukai? She'd just sent it. Could he even move that fast?

She looked down at what she was wearing and grimaced when she realized it was the same tank top and pair of short-shorts she'd been wearing on Wednesday when she'd snapped that selfie for him. She'd love to change but Sesshoumaru wasn't the kinda guy you kept waiting. Her hands bunched into anxious fists, and Kagome tiptoed to the door.

Instead of opening it she rocked up on the balls of her feet and took a look out her peephole. Sure enough, it was him. From what she could see he was dressed in his usual business shirt and slacks, but this time he wore a red tie and neatly tailored vest that hugged his frame. His expression was blank, giving no hint to what he might be thinking, and hair was -- with a shock, she realized his hair was white. His markings were showing. That idiot! Anyone could see him!

Letting her anger at his lack of self-care buoy her up, Kagome clutched the doorknob and threw open the door. Without saying a word she grabbed a fistful of his vest and yanked hard. Apparently taken by surprise he rocked forward through the threshold and she shut the door quickly behind him.

In the cramped space that was her entryway she was suddenly aware just as vividly as she had been last Thursday how intimidated she was by his sheer size. Grasping at the fading strings of the bravery her anger had given her she looked up into his curious and strangely soft expression and Let. Him. Have. It.

"Sesshoumaru! Your face!" she hissed.

"What of it?" he asked, his eyes lidded, his baritone a rich vibration peeling out from his chest.

His chest. Kagome looked down in dismay at her hand, still clutching a fistful of his shirt and vest. Swallowing and backing up a step she released it and tried to smooth the rumpled fabric down. Ugh. It was the first time she'd touched him there and his abs were every bit as distressingly hard as she'd imagined. Her face flushed and she felt a rumble begin beneath her fingers. Was he laughing at her?

She was about to retract her guilty hands as if they'd been burned when his broad hot palm pressed down over them, capturing them there. Eyes wide, feeling like a small and startled animal she looked up into his face.

"My Miko, so eager," he practically purred, his eyes and his face soft.

Confused by his statement she chose to ignore it. "Your glamour ... you forgot. Someone could have seen you."

Sesshoumaru became very still for a moment, before he replied, "Hmmm ... so I did."

He let her pinned hands drop away from him and he began taking off his shoes as if he owned the place. Placing them neatly on the floor he got up and strolled into her apartment, eyeing with a pale arched brow the mess on her coffee table and the bra she'd discarded on the arm of her couch the night before when it became clear he wasn't coming over. Kagome gave a long sigh and clutched the bridge of her nose, as if she could be any more embarrassed at this point.

She looked up and watched as he sat down heavily on her couch throwing his arm over the backrest in a comfortable way and leveling a look at her like a lion who'd spotted lunch. His energy was so strange. His posture seemed relaxed and his expression, eager almost. Kagome stood frozen at the door, her feet unwilling to advance. His face tightened and he patted with one long hand on the empty couch cushion next to him.

"Come." His smooth voice was a soft demand, not a plea.

Without her permission, she felt her feet pull her forward a few steps before she stopped and crossed her arms. He had stood her up. He had stood her up, and now he'd waltzed into her place tonight unannounced as if he'd done nothing wrong!

Kagome lifted her chin, trying her best to feign her own cool confidence at the distressingly attractive man beckoning her to sit next to him. "You stood me up yesterday. That's not OK."

She watched his expression drop and he sighed, inclining his head slightly. He leaned forward and rested his arms on knees. "This one has left you in want of his company and for that, I apologize. Now come and sit. We will speak."

Huffing Kagome sat down on the couch but on the very edge of her seat. She couldn't get over the change in his body language, she could feel his youki fanning out in hot waves, almost caressing her. She shivered as he reiki stirred in response.

"Alright, what do you have to say then? You interrupted my evening."

He gave her a smirk and said, "Kagome, I have given much thought to your difficulty and I am here to present to you a solution to your needs."

"Oh god!" Kagome blinked rapidly. "Baekhyun or one of those other guys isn't like ... tied up in your car, is he?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Miko," the Inuyoukai replied dryly.

Kagome sighed in relief and sat back on the couch more comfortably. "Thank god. Sorry ... " she responded, noticing the frown on his face. "It's just that you're my friend but you're also a demon, and sometimes you do "demon stuff" and it completely mystifies me. Wow, I kinda look like a mess," she said, tugging at her tank top. "I didn't even shower today. You should have texted me ... would you like a glass of wine? I still have that bottle you gave me."

Sesshoumaru locked eyes with her and shook his head. "No, and I should ask you to refrain as well. I'll not have alcohol clouding your acceptance of my plan."

"Alright ... " Kagome smiled cautiously. "So you've figured it all out for me, huh? Well, who's Mister Right then?"

Sesshoumaru's expression and body froze, and then he narrowed his eyes, frowning. "This one is Mister Right," he said flatly.

Kagome couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Sorry," she shook her head. "I keep forgetting you're not good with slang. When I say 'Mister Right' I don't mean 'Mister Right All the Time' I mean ... "

"Your meaning is transparent," he blurted out, pinning her with his gaze before sitting up steel rod straight in his seat and gesturing elegantly to his chest. "I, Mr. Right, sit before you."

Kagome's gulp was almost audible. When it was clear she was unable to speak, Sesshoumaru continued.

"Truly, for one so intelligent, your incredulity at my admission is appalling. The answer to your problem is obvious. There is no one more worthy of what you require than this one," Sesshoumaru said, placing his broad hand, fingers spread, over the chiseled expanse of his pecks. "It is offensive that this fact is not plain to you."

Shook. Kagome. Was. Shook.

"Sessoumaru!" she cried, tucking her hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. There was no way he was actually attracted to her. "That's very ... generous of you. I know you want to keep me safe from the virus, but ... I could never ask you to ... debase yourself that way."

"Debase myself ... " His eyes brows knit and his nose flared. "You are clearly unaware of your estimation in my eyes."

"What are you saying?" she shook her head, almost pleading.

Sesshoumaru reached forward and gently took one of her hands, he turned it palm up and feathered a kiss against the pulse point on her wrist. She shivered, eyes wide.

"It would be my honor, Kagome," he said softly against her skin. "To serve you in this way. Unless you do not desire this one?"

"Uh ... I do," she said weakly. "But to 'serve' me ... " she mumbled. " ... If it's just a task for you ... "

He glanced up and gave her a shark's smile. "Ah, isn't that what you were looking for though? Someone to complete a straight-forward physical function, or perhaps you are wanting something more?"

"Ha ha," she watched, spellbound as he huffed and nuzzled at the skin on her wrist with his nose. "No um ... " a soft moan escaped her lips. "It's just that. I don't want you to do something like that because you feel responsible for me as alpha and it's a box that needs to be checked. My needs aren't a problem to be solved. I ... want you to want me to."

His keen eyes darted up to hers again, looking up through the curtain of his long lashes, Kagome trembled as a low rumble came from his chest.

"Believe me, Miko, I do want you."

"I'm a human," she shot back, almost angrily.

"Tell me," he sighed. "Have your tastes changed over the years?" he asked, setting her hand down on his thigh and holding it there.

"Of course."

"Hn ... Mine have too. It's true that I don't seek humans out as a rule. But in the past 500 years this one has grown new perspectives on what is of value. It is not so much what you are that interests me, Kagome. It is who you are. And that this one adores."

"Wow," a feeling of warmth blossomed in her chest, and something beneath her navel clenched, hard.

"You need time to consider?" he asked, expression gentle once again.

"No ... I just. Never thought you could think of me that way."

"This one thinks of you often, Kagome." He said lowly. "In many ways."

"Ha ... OK, now I'm about to pass out," she said, her breath was coming in quick gulps.

He smiled then, perhaps the first real smile she'd ever seen him give anyone. He was so radiant it made her ache.

"Breathe. You are overwhelmed. It is understandable when propositioned by one such as this one. Come. Sit on my lap. I will hold you here next to me until no doubt remains in your body"

"You'll just ... hold me?" Kagome asked, voice small, eyes alighting shyly on his face.

He nodded.

"OK," she smiled. Maybe she could grow to trust that the Lord of the West might just have the hots for her. "Maybe we can watch something then?"

"That is acceptable. Whatever you need. Only come closer, Kagome," And with that she let him draw her into his lap, her whole body tense and tingling at first as she sat on his legs and he tucked her head beneath her chin. His body radiated a preternatural warmth and his dark energy enveloped like a staticky cloud. It was strange at first but then she found it rather relaxing like white noise all over her body.

She breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of him. He smelled like cedar and something else, something male and musky, almost like cumin. He drew one long arm around her body she blushed as he grabbed her thigh in one hand beneath her hip, dragging her into him more securely so she could tuck her legs up on his lap as well. He hummed, as if contented, as he retrieved the remote wedged beneath the pillow next to him.

"We were watching the title called 'Blue Earth' were we not?"

Kagome nodded against his chest, breathing in his smell again, she let her body relax further into his embrace as he found their episode. This ... this is what she'd been fantasizing about for months, what she'd wanted to cross the invisible barrier between them to do. 

Netflix and chill with the Killing Perfection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! Don't kill me! I totally thought they were going to get busy in this chapter too, but then it took a while for Kagome to FIGURE IT OUT. Ha ha. Hopefully the build up will only make it better. Thanks for all the reviews so far!


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